Fire-escape



(No Mod l) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. L. MURPHY.

' FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 285,832. Patehted Oct. 2, 1883.

WITNESSES: WVENTOR A TTORNEY' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W.L.'MURPHY.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 285,832. Patented Oct. 2, 1883.

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A TTORNEY I UNITED STATES;

PATENT O FI E.

\VILLIAM L. MURPHY, OF OXFORD, OHIO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,832, dated October2, 1883.

Application filed April 20, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. MURPHY, ofOxford, Butler county, Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire- Escapes, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an arrangement of reeled ladders upon abuilding, and will be understood from the drawings and description.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a buildingarranged with my improved fire-escape; Fig. 2, a vertical section of thesame at the frieze; Fig. 3, a horizontal section of fire-walls, showingcorner connections of releaserods; Fig. 4, a front View of ladder-links,and Fig; 5 a vertical section of a ladder-link.

In the drawings, A represents the front of a building; 13, the cornice;O, the frieze; D,

the reel; M, a clutch by which the reel-shaft is engaged with thereel-spool when the ladder is to be reeled up; N, a release-rod arrangedto have a sliding motion; 0, a bellcrank, through the medium of whichthe rods N are operated; P, bearings fixed in the wall to support therelease-rods; Q, a rope or chain attached to bell-crank O and leading tothe lower floor of the house, or to some point not liable to beinaccessible in'case of fire; It, a pulley located 011 the rear ofthewall over the port and under the release-rod; S, a chain or ropeattached to bolt K, passing over pulley It and attached to release-rod;T, a spring to force the port-door open when bolt is'released; U, abell-crank located in the angle of two walls to connect the release-rodsof each wall; V, ladder-links of square open structure of circularsection, of metal; XV, ladder-links j oining links V, and formed ofsheet metal; X,

portions of ladder-links WV, folded over the end bars of the open linksand secured to the main portion of the link by rivets, as shown; Y,front straps at the links, which support the ladder-rounds, formed ofsheet metal bent to fit the ladderround, and having ends to project inunder folds X and be secured by the link-rivets; and Z, theladder-rounds, formed of rods held in straps Y, and provided withtubular bodies surrounding them.

The mode of operation will now be described, it being assumed that thereis but one vertical row of windows, one port, and one ladderreel. Thereel-shaft is pushed endwise till the engagement of clutch M locks thespool to its shaft. The ladder is then reeled up and the port-doorclosed and bolted. The floor of the port slopes downward and outward, asshown, and the weight on the lower end of the ladder rests 011 thisslope and against the port-door. The reel-shaft is unclutched, leavingthe spool free to turn on its shaft. In case of fire the rope Q ispulled. This moves the release-rod endwise, draws the bolt of theport-door, and the port-door flies open, being urged by the spring T andby the weight J. The weighted end of the ladder will then go through theport, and the ladder will instantly unreel till it forms a ladderreaching from the ground to the reel and passing each window in thevertical row. The ladder, being flexible, may, by properly handling itslower end, he swung outward or sidewise to clear obstructions, or toclear flaming windows in the vertical row, or to reach a contiguous rowof, windows not provided with ladders.

There being, as there should be, a ladder for each vertical row ofwindows, the action of the release-rod is to simultaneously release allthe ladders.

There being several fronts to a building,

each front with a series of ladders, the one re The nature of thebuilding will determine these details.

I claim as my invention chain Q, releaserods N along the two walls, 1.The combination of wall A, series of and bell-erank U in the angle ofthe wall, ports D, doors E, with their bolts, ladder-reels joining therods, substantially as set forth. at the ports, rope or chain Q,release-rod N 3. The open links V, connecting-links V, 15 5 along theWall, past the series of ports, and with folds X, and rounds Z, combinedsubropes S, attached to the release-rod and to the stantially as and forthe purpose set forth. door-bolts, substantially as and for the purposeSet forth I VILLIAM L. MURPID.

2. The combination of walls A, at right an- Vitnesses: 1o gles to eachother, ports D, with their doors A. MYERS, and bolts, ladder-reels atthe ports, rope or J. \V. SEE.

